Shades of Grey
by YellowAlien13
Summary: When in St. Louis when the infection hits survivors try to make it to safety but something weird is happening to some of the inftected and not all of the survivors are going to make it.
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

The Infection. There is a lot a questions and confusion around this. What are we supposed to do? Why did this happen? How did this happen? There are many theories as to how, none more clear than the last. A military experiment gone horribly wrong, a new form of the rabies virus, the governments explanation it's simply a form of the flu, the all mighty hand of God punishing us lost souls, and so on and so forth. Although after all that's happened no one seems to concerned with how anymore.

But everyone does think one thing is clear. That there are now Us and there are Them. But even this isn't true. Nothing is ever this black and white, there's always that grey area. But people never care about that. They only want to draw that line and divide the groups. But how thick is that line? And how important is it really? Does it really determine life or death?

Everything boils down to the two groups though no matter how thick the line is or isn't or how big of a grey area there is. The only thing you can do now is just hope that when Us and Them fight this that your on the living side. If not well good luck.


	2. Chapter 1

"Little is know about the so called 'Infection' experts speculate-"

"Little know my ass." Care said shut off the T.V. having enough of that bull shit. She got up and went into the kitchen. She got a glass of water and went back into the living room. She sat down on the couch and stared at the boarded up windows. She and her dad had spent the other day boarding up, better to be safe than sorry. A lot of people had been broken into, the mass panic making people do things they normally wouldn't do.

Care wasn't to scared of being robbed, she was expecting it truthfully. Living in a weapons shop did that. And it was a weapons shop not a gun shop. They sold anything from guns to knifes to swords, even had some mid evil weapons but those were more for collecting than fighting. Care also wasn't to worried about the "Infection" either. If she got infected than she did if she didn't she knew how to fight and take care of herself. Plus this "Infection" was really good for business. People were panicking and when they panic they want something to protect themselves with. It was a cruel truth but business had never been better and that made Care happy.

Speaking of business the front door bell rang getting Care's attention. She got up and went down stairs to see who it was. There standing at the contour were two men. They both appeared to be in their late twenties possibly early thirties but that seemed to be pushing it. One was very tall, Care guess about six foot seven inches, he had short black hair, torocse eyes, and mild tan skin. He wore a grey hoodie, jeans, ear rings, and dog tags Care suspected he had been in the military. The other one wasn't as tall maybe six foot two inches, he had dirty blonde hair cut into a medium mohawk, he had the typical bright blue eyes of a blonde, and was pale. He wore a long light brown trench coat, black tee, and dark jeans.

"Can I help you?" Care asked looking up at both men. She wasn't short but like mentioned earlier the men were pretty tall.

"Are you old enough to be working here?" The dark haired one asked looking at Care suspiciously.

"I'm 18 so yeah, plus I don't just work here I live here. Family owned store." Care informed the man. "Can I help you?"

"We would like to buy so weapons-"

"No dude other wise you wouldn't be in a weapon's shop. What kind?" Care said interrupting the blonde.

"I need a mini oozie." The dark haired one said. "If you know what that is little girl."

"Yes I know what that is asshole." Care snapped rage flashing in her eyes. She grew up in a weapon's shop she just about knew everything there is to know about guns and knifes. How dare he insult her.

"Easy Care no need to be rude to the costumer." Care's dad said coming down the stairs.

"The costumer can kiss my ass." Care mumbled her dad didn't hear her but the dark haired man did. They glared at each other neither one willing to be the first to look away.

"Care why don't you go down stairs and move those orders for Mr. Milson, he'll come by and pick them up later today."

"Whatever." Care said turning and walking off. She herd one of them chuckle making her head snap back at them. "What?"

"Nothing I like your hoodie." He blonde one said smiling. Care frowned and continued down the stairs. She was wearing her normal black hoodie that had a yellow angry smiley of the front and in big white letters were "FUCK SHIT UP" cover her back.

"Hi my name is Daniel Fox-" Care heard her dad introduce before she closed the basement door.

Care was sweeping when the two guys from a few days ago came back.

"What do you want?"

"We're here to pick up our guns. We've waited out, your dad told us to come back the background check should be done."

"Oh yeah." Care said. She placed the broom against the wall and check the computer for the files they kept on all the costumers. "Ah here we are Scott Lloyd and Bryson Ezio." Care raised an eyebrow at the last name, he must have changed it.

"Yeah that's us." The blonde smiled. Care nodded and told them to hold one for a minute. She went and got their guns they had bought when they had originally came.

"Here you go, one mini oozie, a shotgun, and an assortment of knifes." Care said. They took the guns and knifes. The blonde turned the knifes over admiring them, wail the dark haired one just took his guns.

"So you're in the military?" Care asked looking at the dog tags. The blonde glanced at her then at his friend, he seemed to be worried about something.

"I was not anymore."

"Oh I was just wonder because I thought if you could prove my theory right." Care said.

"And what theory would that be?"

"That the government it behind the "Infection" and they are just passing it off as a flu rather than taking responsibility." She told him. He smiled and patted her head.

"Don't know about that but at least your not buying into that flu crap. If you survive look me up some day." He said. "Scott Lloyd." Care swatted away his hand and frowned at him. What did he mean by if, she wasn't planning of dieing anytime soon. Bryson smiled and nodded.

"I can tell you got spunk kid, hate to make you mad." He said. "Feel sorry for whatever poor bastard does."

"See yea." Scott waved and left with Bryson.

"Such strange guys." Care said. She yawned and rested her head on her hand. She drifted off not knowing that tomorrow things would never be the same again.

Care sighed as she made her way back home. She cared her Mossberg shotgun on her back. It was really dangerous on the streets now, more and more people were becoming infected. She had taking a giant risk going out but she need supplies. She had already been attacked once and was covered in zombie blood. She quickly unlocked her front door and locked in once again once inside. The smell of blood and rotting flesh greeted her as she walked inside. She bit her lip and looked up at the stairs seeing the copses of her dead parents. She let out a heavy raged breath recounting the events of this morning.

_Care awoke to a load breaking nose coming from down stairs. She slowly got up and grabbed her gun. She quietly made her way down the stairs. She was shocked at what see saw, her parents but they weren't like they always were. Their skin was grey their eyes were red and they had the most distant look on their faces._

"_M-m-mom D-d-dad!" Care said breathlessly, that was a mistake. They looked up at her with such a wild look Care could have shit her pants. They ran at her then, scared she struggled to load and aim her gun. She made her shot, shooting her dad in the head, she then unloaded her gun into her mom's chest. Blood splattered the wall, the stair case, Care herself, no place didn't have a fresh coat of blood. _

Care shook her head and rid herself of the memory what was done is done, in a life or death situation and she choose to live. She was going to have to remember that from now on. Didn't mean she felt any better.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Erinn stared blankly up at her ceiling, bored out of her mind. Due to the Infection her mother had forbid her from going outside without a weapon or alone. And of course they had no guns or anything, although she had used their butcher knife a few times. You would think being best friends with a weapons dealers daughter she would have some type of weapon. But no, none what so ever. She also didn't have anyone to go outside with. She couldn't go to Care's because they lived opposite sides of the city and neither her annoying little brother or her mother would walk with her to Care's. So here she was stuck at home just waiting to get infected or for the already infected to get her.

She had tried to call Chad but she couldn't reach him. She feared the worst but when she had talked to Care she had said Chad could damn well take care of his own ass. And that was the edited version of what she had said. Even if it had be sorta rude strangely Erinn felt a little better. Although she was still upset that Care was answering her phone but Chad wasn't.

"I'm about to whip somebody's ass~ Oh I'm about to whip somebody's ass~ " Speak of the devil.

"Hey Care what's up?" Erinn asked flipping open her phone.

"Nothing really, some weird guys came into the shop."

"Weird, that's nothing new though."

"Yeah be these guys were like scary weird." Care said. "This one guy was like six foot seven or eight."

"Wow." Erinn didn't think she had ever seen someone that tall before. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. The other one was sorter but was still kinda tall, maybe six foot two." Care said.

"Hm. Have they ever been to the shop before?"

"No I would have know." Care said matter-of-factly.

"O.k." She knew Care was right, she hardly left the shop only to go to the movies or, before they graduated a few mouths ago, to go to school. Erinn had to force her half the time, Care wasn't a people person. She even went out of her way to be sure no one came near her, which would be mean being rude, give evil glares, or just leave.

"So what? Do they bother you?"

"It's not really that, I don't know what but I do get a strange feeling from them." She said. Erinn sighed and shock her head.

"You just need to learn to trust people."

"Yeah maybe." Care said but Erinn could tell she wasn't really agreeing she was just deep in thought.

"Yeah whatever. Have you seen anymore infected?"

"A lot I haven't gone out in a while."

"Me either. I'm starting to get really worried. What happens when we run out of supplies?" Care didn't answer for a while, then Erinn herd a gun shoot on the other end. "Care?"

"Hu oh sorry I just shoot down an Infected that was to close to the house." Care said and Erinn could hear her reloading her shoot gun. "What did you say?"

"Never mind." Erinn had just got her answer, if Care did run out of supplies she would just go out with a gun and get more. She wished that she was like Care sometimes, she was never afraid to be herself and not afraid face danger.

"I got to go Dad wants me to go something. I check up on you later."

"I'm not a child." Erinn said but before she was done there was a click on the other end. Figures. Care had a bad habit of cutting people off before they were done talking. They we done when she decided she was not going to listen anymore.

Erinn closed her phone and put it in the front of her shirt. She leaned back onto her bed pillows. She allowed herself to relax more and more trying to ignore and forget about all the shit that had happened up to this point.

"Sis?" Erinn looked over at her brother; his dirty blond hair was greasy and matted down, his eyes blue-grey eyes were down cast, and he was pale.

"What is it Tanner?"

"I don't feel to good."

"Then go take some medicine."

"We don't have any." He said looking at her with tired sad eyes. Erinn sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Then I don't know what to tell you bubby. Go get some sleep." Erinn said her voice breaking ever so slightly. Tanner nodded and left closing her door with quietly. Erinn started to cry as soon as the door closed fully. She knew what was happing to Tanner and she was scared for herself and her brother. She sobbed quietly and rapped her arms around herself, it was her only comfort. She eventually cried herself to sleep.

A few days later Erinn awoke to screaming. She bolted up in her bed and quietly got up. She opened her door, only a small crack, then closed it quickly and ran inside her walk in closet. She blocked the door the best she could with boxes and other junk. Outside her room in the hall was a swarm of Infected and they were tearing apart her mother and part of that swarm was her brother. It was too much for her already fragile psyche, she brook down and cried hard. Not the quiet sobs from earlier these were hard snot filled, deep breathing, hiccup filled cries. She didn't care if the Infected heard her anymore, as far as she could tell she was dead meat.

There was scratching on the door and moaning and groaning outside it. Then she heard banging and growling. Hunter? She curled up close to herself and buried her face in her arms not wanting to face what was coming for her. The door smashed in and a figure blocked out the little bit of light that came through the cracks in her arms. Heavy foot steps filled and echoed in the small room. Sounds of boots hitting the hard wood floor and they stopped right in front of Erinn. Then something hit her when nothing happened after a while, do the Infected actually still walk like a normal person does? That heavy of evenly placed foot steps? No.

She cautiously looked up to see the one person in the world she was glad to see at this moment. It was Care. She was covered in blood, had her shoot gun out and a war axe on her back. She held the shoot gun in her left hand and had her right extended towards her. Erinn looked at her friends hand then at her face. It was grim and sullen and her eyes were cold and dark although Erinn could see the depression and hurt in those mud colored pools.

Erinn, instead of taking Care awaiting hand, lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Care's waist. She buried her head into Care's stomach and continued to cry. Erinn's nose was filled with Care's sent; she smelled of gunpowder, blood, dirt, and smoke. It wasn't anything like her normal sweet pea smell but it was still Care.

Erinn felt Care's hand rest on her head and she slowly petted her head, in an attempt to calm her down. She could hear Care smooth, even, calm voice saying soothing words of encouragement to calm her. It worked eventually and the tears stopped giving way to small hiccups. Care gently brought Erinn to her feet and brushed her off.

"You o.k.?" Care asked. Erinn nodded and whipped away the tears from her face. "Good. We have to go." Care grabbed a hold of Erinn's hand and pulled her along like a mother would a child. Erinn looked around and saw the bodies of dead Infected that Care had most likely killed. She stopped seeing her mutilated mother and brother. Care stopped as well and looked to were Erinn held her gaze. Care squeezed Erinn's hand firmly but not harmfully. Erinn looked at her sadly and Care returned her gaze. Neither said anything, didn't have to both had nothing to say.

"It couldn't be helped." Care said after a long while.

"I know." Erinn said. Care nodded and stared to walk pulling Erinn right along. Erinn looked back on finial time at her family and tears fell again.

"I'm so sorry."


End file.
